1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to exercise equipment, and more specifically to a folding dumbell and barbell device which allows the weights on the bar to remain in attachment to the bar and fold over the bar in a flat position where the weights receive the bar in a slot in the side of the weights.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, the dumbell and barbell equipment used includes an elongated cylindrical bar, normally metallic, with circular plate or disk type weights positioned at opposite ends of the bar. A number of exercising movements can be performed with this equipment, normally toning muscles.
Exercising with weight equipment has become a common practice among many people. While gymnasiums and exercise or health clubs offer many types of exercise equipment to use, weight lifting devices such as dumbells and barbells are still widely used and popular types of exercise equipment. This is especially true within the home where space is more limited. Convenient and easy storage can be very important. In addition, with traveling, it would be convenient to have a dumbell and barbell device which would fold for easier storage and transporting.
With the dumbell and barbell equipment existing today, the most common ways for preparing this equipment for storage or transporting is to remove the weights, weight mechanisms, or parts of the weights from the bar. This creates the problem of having separate pieces to store or transport and having to reassemble the weights or parts back on the bar to use the dumbell or barbell for exercising. Where the weights are removed from the bar, both the bar and the weights must be handled. Where the weights involve filling a weight chamber with some type weight material, for example, water or sand, the bar, the weight chamber, and maybe even the weight material needs to be handled.
Various types of dumbell and barbell equipment, other than the common bar and plate combination, have been described before in previous patents as offering features that would assist in storage and transporting through the following ways: easily removable weights, collapsible weight systems, hollow weights or weight chambers, folding bars, mechanisms for retaining weights on the bar, special locking devices, releasing locking devices, etc. For examples, see U.S. Pat. Nos. D274,283, 3,726,522, 3,781,007, 4,103,887, 4,199,140, 4,312,506, 4,531,728, 4,529,197, 4,566,690, 4,579,337, 4,585,367, 4,695,051, 4,817,944, 4,905,992. However, none of these references provide for dumbell or barbell equipment which allows the weights on the bar to fold over the bar, receiving the bar in a slot in the side of the weight, while the weight remains in attachment to the bar.